Friday, January 08, 2010

We are thrilled to be one of the six designers invited to participate in the "A+: The Young Designers' Platform" section of Accent on Design at the New York International Gift Fair later this month. We will be sharing a booth (curated by the American Design Club) from January 31st to February 4th with the following participants:

Sangwoo Nam, Appree Co. Sangwoo Nam is a young designer from Seoul, South Korea whose functional home accessories include the “Leaf-it” self-stick memo notes in the color and shapes of tree leaves, and Waterdrop Magnetic, round translucent magnets of various sizes which function as magnets while providing an indirect link to nature.

James Minola and Chelsea Green, GrainJames Minola and Chelsea Green, designers from Bainbridge Island, WA, embrace a mission to unite sustainability and business through design. Grain is a design collaborative which creates and produces home and personal accessories, including the “Ty” recyclable shower curtain, made of ethically-produced, high density polyethylene (HDPE). The new “D.I.Y.” edition comes with an attached permanent marker to draw custom designs on the curtain. Minola and Green, both recipients of several design awards, met while pursuing industrial design degrees at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Marie-Pier Guilmain and Maud Beauchamp, Loyal LuxeMarie-Pier Guilmain and Maud Beauchamp are pet accessory designers based in Mont-St-Hilaire, Canada, whose products are designed and manufactured entirely in Quebec. Their showcase work is the “chalet for cats,” a cardboard house for cats or other small domestic pets. Its innovative yet humorous design is inspired by Canadian-style chalets. Both Guilmain and Beauchamp received industrial design degrees from Montreal University.

Jiyeon Ahn and Jieun Kim, Luca 12:00This female design duo from Seoul, South Korea, creates playful lighting and other home accessories, in which everyday objects become meaningful in a new context. One of their newest designs is “Soap, a portable light,” through which a unique light lamp – in the shape and color of a bar of soap – is controlled through touch. By rubbing the lamp in the same manner as a bar of soap, users can adjust the luminous intensity, and the soap’s holder acts as a charger.

Munire Kirmaci, munire kirmaciMunire Kirmaci is an industrial, product and spatial designer based in Brooklyn, NY, who designs home accessories as well as interior spaces. Her signature piece is “Salt and Pepper in One,” a stainless steel container which stores and dispenses both salt and pepper in one piece. Kirmaci received a Bachelor of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, and a Masters of Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute.

We are especially excited to be showing with Munire Kirmaci - an old friend who will definitely help keep us entertained over the five days of Javits action. Big thanks to Jamie and Brian of Iacoli & McAllister (who participated last summer) for inspiring us to apply!

UPDATE 2010-01-19: Here is a link to the official New York International Gift Fair press release.